Topeka man sentenced in shooting death of former wife

Published 6:22 am, Saturday, September 24, 2016

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 60-year-old Topeka man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison in the death of his former wife.

Colin Edward Pritchard was convicted in June of intentional second-degree murder in the 2015 shooting death of his former wife, 51-year-old Cindy Pritchard.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports (http://j.mp/2dexWJl ) he was sentenced Friday after a two-hour hearing that included comments from some of Cindy Pritchard's seven children, as well as her mother, father and other relatives.

Pritchard's defense attorneys sought to have his sentence reduced to three years and five months, contending he had acted in self-defense after his former wife pulled a pistol from a hiding place in a sofa.